CS4 - Eastie Boy's "Ice Ice Bitter"

[Stu McKinlay]

Never one to put a normal beer into a case swap here is the story of my Eis-bitter...

Ice Ice Bitter (labelled with a "P" sticker on the lid, assuming that doesn't come off)

Brewed 40L of a summer-style pale bitter but it has ended up as some sort of "Strong Burton-style Pale Mild Eisbitter".

The recipe, from memory (will update once I check the recipe), was:
Burtonised liquor
96% UK Pale Malt
2% Crystal 90
2% Wheat
Mashed 60min
Boiled 75min
1.038
Hopped exclusively with Pacifica - 60min, 15min, 0min - to 30ibu.
WLP002 - "Fuller's"

It was originally 3.5%abv when it went into the keg. I've been drinking the 3.5% keg at cellar temps for a few weeks and although I'm not enamoured with it (Pacifica a bit sweet on its own) I have found it reasonably sessionable.

The second keg was in the cold conditioning fridge for three weeks. On Saturday night I started pouring into 750ml bottles. I poured the first into an old bottle for myself and then cracked open the new pack of Brewcraft bottles. I'd only had a half-pint or three from the keg during conditioning so was more than a little surprised when the keg burped at the start of the 15th Brewcraft bottle - even if I'd had 10 half-pints there should have been plenty left. Upon pulling the keg from the fridge it still felt heavy... I opened up the bugger and found a bloody big old block of ice inside!

I've still got to measure the water volume left in the keg and work out the final ABV but I'm guessing it's about 6%... possibly more.

So, rather than defrosting the leftover water from that beer and filling the last bottle with that, one (lucky/unlucky?) case swapper has got a bottle of my Motueka Bitter coming (MO, CaraMunich 2, Amber... 3.6%... no water treatment... 100% Motueka hops). Marked "M" on the lid.
Removed from the case swap by Matthew (The Good Samaritan) as I actually sent too many beers anyway!

Merry Christmas.

[James P]

That shit's stuck in my head now.....

[Mike Neilson]

Had this last night, Intresting!! very very Intresting and I didnt know what to make of it, Its thin like a Ordinary but with loads of malt and hop character but there was a bit of I wouldnt say evident alc but more you now it was there, but what was more pronounced was the sherry notes from the yeast, which I love and is probably the sole reason why I buy Fullers Vintage Ale every time I can. Intresting??????? and it makes me want to brew another Eis beer.Cheers Stu as its really really Intresting!!

[Dale Cooper]

Well for a total f* up this beer is pretty friggin good. I was counting my wine drinking friend who i shared this with to help me with flavour descriptions but he was totally hopeless. I thought it tasted like a concetrated version of Barrys bitter which I had earlier Nice beer and seeing as this was a mistake i'd like to know what it was meant to taste like.

[Stu McKinlay]

The non-Iced version was a little like a cross between Townshend Cathcarts NTA and Galbraith's Bob Hudson's Bitter, if you've tried either. Just wanted a little more assertive hop and water character than those beers. It wasn't a patch on either but, considering my stock Ordinary is a lot more of an amber, I was pretty happy with the result.

Not so happy with the Eis - to me it magnified all the unpleasant characters of the original!

[Matthew]

Enjoyed the Motueka Eis last night. I preferred it to the Pacifica. I think the Motueka just brought a bit more character to the beer. I don't think anyone else would have appreciated it so it was probably best I took one for the team and held onto it. Cheers :D

[Stu McKinlay]

The Motueka had a quite different from the Pacifca hopped beer. Same yeast, similar strengths and IBU, but it used MO, Crystal and Amber. It was closer to my 'standard' bitter (one I've brewed about a dozen variations of).

[Soren]

this is very interesting. I made a barley wine some months ago with pacifica as the late hop and fermented with 1968. This one is very close in flavour and aroma although mine was about twice the strength... it's got sort of a sweet caramelly bready and estery profile. its like 1968 on steroids.
Anyways, enough about my beer. This eis bitter pours quite viscous, no head and little carbonation. fuller's yeast characteristics on the nose, I don't quite know how to describe it, as above. got some orangey hop notes behind there as well. flavour is a bit sweet, bordering cloying and that leads to a question: when you freeze a beer, do you concentrate the bitterness as well as the other flavours or does that settle out with the ice? either way, i'd like a touch more bitterness here.
I think this beer would have been awesome in its intended form and it still is pretty good and very interesting to try.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to finish cleaning the brewery:)
Cheers!

[Barry]

Unfortunately for this beer I had it directly after JamesP's pils. I find with English-ish beers (well any of mine anyway) having them right after a fresh floral or citrussy hoppy beer exposes their grainy earthy character a bit too much.
That's what I got with this one, grainy maltyness and earthy almost dirty hop.
But it was a good beer I thought.

[Stu McKinlay]

sorry to spoil your dream Soren but at the strength intended it wasn't much better

[Ally Mcg]

Had this one on NYE with a mate and shamefully can't recall as much about it as I'd like.

There was a distinct nose, that we both struggled to name. I went for quince, with caraway, but its the sort of ESB nose i always struggle to find the descriptors for. The body was rich and balanced, very full in the mouth and nicely drinkable. Cheers

[Reviled]

Drinking this now and im not quite sure what to make of it, nice complex nose to it, tons of malt aroma and something else but I cant put my finger on what it reminds me of... Im getting alot of alcohol on the palate with a thin mouthfeel, but then after that I get this awesome complex malty finish..

Im up and down with this beer, it is definately very interesting tho and one im glad I tried!! Cheers Stu :o)

[Stu McKinlay]

I proclaim myself worst beer in the case swap, so will organise Wellington shipping next time.

And that reminds me... I must owe someone money for this time?